Peace be with you – a sermon for Easter

Christ Church Winnetka, Chicago, USA John 20.19-31

It was a delight and a privilege to spend the two weeks of Holy Week and Easter week at Christ Church, Winnetka, in the north of Chicago, right on the western shore of Lake Michigan, as part of my research and writing stay in the USA March-May 2025. I greatly appreciated joining in their services (17 from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday!) with their wonderful liturgies, undergirded by the excellent music, under the expert direction of Richard Clemmitt. I am very grateful to the Rev’d Matthew Hanisian for his kind invitation and generous hospitality, and to his several clergy and many lay leaders for all their hard work.

In particular, I was honoured not only to preside at the eucharist during Holy Week, but also to be invited to preach on the Sunday after Easter at both the main communion services at 8am and 9.30am on the wonderful passage about the risen Jesus appearing to his disciples in the upper room from John 20. This a crucial passage for the whole of John’s gospel and for our understanding of our mission as Jesus charges us, “As the Father has sent me, so I send you”. It was also the gospel which I was asked to proclaim at my ordination in Rochester Cathedral in June 1985 FORTY years ago, so as I approach my ruby anniversary of ordained ministry, it was a delight to be asked to preach upon it. So here are a couple of pictures of me presiding and preaching – plus the gospel text of John 20.19-31 for you to study while listening to Soundcloud.

John 20:19-31

When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.” A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.” Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.”

Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.